Doctor Mike Varshavski Workout and Diet
Medical Doctor
Mikhail Varshavski was born in Russia; his family moved to the US when he was 5. He earned the nickname ‘Doctor Mike’ in high school from helping friends with injuries. He attended the NY Institute of Technology for an accelerated 7-year degree in medicine and is currently a practicing family physician. Doctor Mike started documenting his medical school experience on Instagram in 2012. In 2015, he was featured in a BuzzFeed article, and a few months later, People magazine named him ‘Sexiest Doctor Alive.’ His 2017 TEDx Talk about know-it-all experts has been viewed over 3 million times. Doctor Mike is also a boxer and made his professional debut against Chris Avila in 2022. He is a podcast host and a philanthropist who donated masks during the pandemic, sends money to Ukraine, supports the charity Feeding America, and established the Limitless Tomorrow scholarship foundation. Doctor Mike is sponsored by several brands including Nike and Electronic Arts. He has millions of followers on social media. Doctor Mike is 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs about 190 lbs.
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Doctor Mike’s Diet
Diet Summary
Doctor Mike is a busy man. He does not do a lot of cooking, but says that’s no excuse not to eat healthy. He usually has 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. Some of his standards include avocado toast with smoked salmon, a Chipotle bowl, and sushi. He focuses on protein and healthy fats, and watches the carbs. He also says that while he likes Chipotle, it is high in sodium. His approach to eating is practical and proves that you do not need to cook to find nutritious food. Doctor Mike is a fan of intermittent fasting for weight loss and weight maintenance. When he was training for his big fight against Chris Avila, he was burning through 2,000-3,000 calories a day, and had to eat more frequently to keep up the demands of training.
Estimated Macros
Medium Fat
Low-Medium Carb
High Protein
Diet Details
Eat for Your Goals
Doctor Mike eats sensibly. He focuses on fiber, protein and healthy fats.
Love the Fish
Doctor Mike loves fish. The sushi he often gets for dinner is not the stuff rolled in rice. It is raw fish, and he’ll have it with some brown rice on the side. He recommends wild fish over farmed.
Gooey Treat
Doctor Mike loves his cheese. He says it’s good for him because he is trying to keep weight on.
Smart Snacking
Doctor Mike isn’t a spokesperson for Perfect Bars, but he might as well be. He loves them because they are healthy and delicious and easy to eat on the go. He also snacks on nuts and carrot sticks.
Fave Fruit
Doctor loves his avocado toast, the avocado especially. He says they’re a great choice for breakfast, being full of antioxidants, fiber, and unsaturated fat which boosts good cholesterol.
Avocado Is Aztec for What?
Doctor Mike likes to include little factoids in his talks, such as that the word ‘avocado’ is the Aztec word for ‘testicle’, which is appropriate because of the shape and because they hang in pairs on trees.
What to Eat
- Eat in moderation
- Natural foods
- High fiber foods
- Whole wheat bread
- Avocado
- Smoked salmon
- Cream cheese
- Complex carbs
- Perfect bars
- Chicken
- Steak
- Wild-caught fish
- Sushi
- Beans
- Brown rice
- Veggies
- Fresh fruit
- Cheese
- Nuts
- Water
What to Avoid
- Getting too hungry
- Preservatives
- Artificial ingredients
- Processed foods
- Chemicals
- Empty-calorie foods
- Excess sodium
Doctor Mike on breakfast
‘I understand if it isn’t for everyone. [But] If you eat breakfast, you’re getting a lot of health benefits throughout the day.’
Doctor Mike on a good reason to eat breakfast
‘You’re giving yourself enough energy to get to the gym.’
Doctor Mike on why crash diets to make weight are bad
‘Your workouts will suffer.’
Doctor Mike on the ‘right’ diet
‘Eat in moderation to stay healthy.’
Doctor Mike’s Workout Routine
Workout Routine
Going Pro
Doctor Mike did only 1 amateur fight before turning pro. The exhibition match was against fellow YouTuber iDubbbz. The event raised over $1M for charity.
Fighting Shape
Doctor Mike going pro wasn’t a complete joke. He holds holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He also dropped 20 lbs. in preparation for the match.
Boxing Science
Doctor Mike worked with the crew at Boxing Science to build muscle for his big match.
Mega Daily Dose
Doctor Mike trained twice a day, six days a week to get in shape for the Avila fight.
Strength Training
In addition to his boxing-specific training, Doctor Mike did regular weight training to prep for the fight. In this case, it was boxing focused, so goblet squats instead of regular squats and lots of rotational exercises.
Cardio Conditioning
Boxing is one of the best ways to get in shape. It is an all-around sport. For his cardio conditioning, Doctor Mike did longer runs, and then shorter intervals to mimic the 3-minute rounds in the ring.
Exercise Style
A Doctor Mike Boxing Routine
Boxing: 5 days/week
- Heavy bag
- Upper cut bag
- Shadow boxing
- Mitt work
- Speed bag
- Double end bag
- Jump rope
- Sparring
Strength training
- Goblet squats
- Speed skater
- Rotation exercises: med ball, cable rows
- Isometric exercises
- Planks
- Sit ups
- Dead bug
Conditioning
- Running
- Intervals of various lengths: 3-15 min
- Sprints
- Airdyne bike
Doctor Mike on becoming a pro boxer
‘I’m trying to do what Jake Paul did, but do it even faster.’
Doctor Mike on getting a marquee fight
‘I realize how lucky I am.’
Doctor Mike on his 1st pro fight
‘I’m working my tail off to take advantage of this opportunity.’
Doctor Mike on pacing yourself
‘If you’re going all-out intensity every day of the week, you will burn out, so you gotta keep it smart.’
Doctor Mike’s Supplements
Doctor Mike prefers to get his nutrition via whole foods, but below are options that may benefit anyone following a similar diet plan.
Protein
When he was training for his pro boxing match, Doctor Mike added in protein to help grow, maintain, and restore his muscles.
Creatine
Doctor Mike also took creatine while doing his intense boxing training. Creatine has been shown to improve strength and performance.
Omega-3s
Doctor Mike makes a point to eat his vitamins in their whole form, but if your diet sometimes falls short, supplementing with anti-inflammatory omega-3s can’t hurt.
Fiber
Doctor Mike makes a point to eat his vitamins in their whole form, but if your diet sometimes falls short, supplementing with anti-inflammatory fiber can’t hurt.
Multivitamin
Another choice if your diet sometimes falls short is supplementing with anti-inflammatory omega-3s, fiber, and a multivitamin.
Doctor Mike’s Lifestyle
Sleep & Diet
Doctor Mike is opposed to crash diets for many reasons, including their impact on sleep. He says not eating enough not only disrupts sleep, but it also can cause the stress hormone cortisol to spike, causing weight gain.
Sleep Hacks
Doctor Mike has lots of tips on how to get a good night’s sleep: exercise daily, even a short walk will help; avoid spicy foods and eating too close to bedtime; don’t drink alcohol before bed; and have your caffeine before noon. He also recommends avoiding naps, or not napping for more than 30 minutes.
Like Father, Like Son
Doctor Mike says he wanted to become a doctor after seeing how much his father helped his patients.
Half & Half
Doctor Mike is a practicing doctor. He spends half his week filming his YouTube podcast and the other half working at a hospital.
Spreading Truth
Doctor Mike uses his platform to combat misinformation and tell the truth about health-related topics.
No Supplements Needed
Doctor Mike says that for most people, consistency with diet and exercise is enough to get good results fitness-wise, and that only the pros need that tiny extra benefit from supplementing. He only endorses products that he truly believes in.
A Man & His Dogs
Doctor Mike initially became famous in part for posting about his husky, Roxy. At age 12, Roxy had a surgery that unexpectedly led to a leg amputation. Doctor Mike also adopted a huge Newfoundlander named Bear in 2017.
Giving Back
Doctor Mike’s family immigrated to the US when he was 5. He says they were received a lot of help through charitable foundations, and he is determined to help others in need.
Big Talk, Big Heart
Doctor Mike said he was ready for his pro boxing match against veteran fighter Chris Avila with 20+ pro fights under his belt and is 3 years his junior. Avila won the fight by unanimous decision. Doctor Mike donated his entire earnings from the match to the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem.
Doctor Mike on why crash diets are a bad idea
‘You don’t get quality rest.’
Doctor Mike on napping
‘I love naps. But naps are a double-edged sword.’
Doctor Mike on a downside of celebrity
‘People ask for selfies at the most awkward moments.’
Doctor Mike on why most people don’t need supplements
‘Most people are not professional athletes.’
Doctor Mike on his dog’s leg being amputated
‘If we had been working with a human surgeon, I think we would have thought about those risks.’
Doctor Mike on the upside of amputation in dogs
‘They [Dogs] don’t have the psychological, traumatic component…They don’t miss having the 4th leg.’
Recommended Products
Doctor Mike Merch
Boxing Science
Polar Heart Rate Monitor
Perfect Bars
Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein
Optimum Nutrition Creatine
Halls Cough Drops
Electronic Arts Gaming
Nike
Murad Skincare
Sunbeam
